BUSINESS, INNOVATION AND SKILLS

Drugs: Industry

Gareth Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what meetings the Secretary of State has had with representatives of the pharmaceutical industry on the long-term future of the pharmaceutical industry in the UK in the last six months.

David Willetts: In July 2010, the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, the right hon. Member for Twickenham (Vince Cable), the Minister of State, Department for Business, Innovation and Skills, the hon. Member for Hertford and Stortford (Mr Prisk) and the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, my noble Friend Baroness Wilcox, attended a UKTI Inward Investment conference which included a round-table meeting of life sciences companies:
	3M;
	Amgen;
	Genzyme,
	Johnson and Johnson;
	Medtronic;
	Pfizer;
	Quintiles;
	Sanofi-Aventis; and
	Takeda.
	GSK were represented on trade missions to Brazil and Russia led by the Secretary of State in September 2010 and November 2010 respectively. The Secretary of State is due to meet Eli Lilly next week. As the Minister responsible for life sciences within BIS, over the past six months, I have had regular contact with representatives of the pharmaceutical sector on a range issues including on the long term future for the sector and on related initiatives such as the Healthcare and Life Sciences Growth Review, as well as discussing issues with the recently appointed life sciences business adviser.
	Specifically, I attended the Pharmaceutical Ministerial Industry Strategy Group (MISG) and the Ministerial Medical Technology Strategy Group (MMTSG) in November, and met representatives of the ABPI, BIA, ABHI and BIVDA in September. I have also had separate meetings with Pfizer, Johnson and Johnson, GSK, 3M and BIA SME member companies.
	I will also maintain regular contact with the life sciences industry through the Senior Industry Group, chaired by myself and Earl Howe.

Higher Education: Health Services

Gareth Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what recent discussions he has had with potential providers of private medical higher education services; and if he will make a statement.

David Willetts: Both the Secretary of State and other BIS Ministers have met a range of private higher education providers including some who deliver medical-related qualifications in other countries. Discussions have centred on how new providers who can offer excellent teaching and a high-quality experience for students can enter the higher education sector and not on the provision of specific courses, medical or otherwise.

Pfizer

Andrew Miller: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what meetings he has had with representatives of Pfizer  (a) before and  (b) after its decision to close its research and development site in Kent.  [Official Report, 28 March 2011, Vol. 526, c. 1-2MC.]

David Willetts: The Prime Minister met Jeff Kindler, CEO of Pfizer Inc, on October 21 and they spoke on the telephone in December 2010. I met Ian Read, Jeff Kindler's successor, on 24 January 2011 at 10 Downing street and officials have since held several discussions with the senior management of Pfizer UK.

Pfizer

Andrew Miller: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills whether the South East of England Regional Development Agency was  (a) consulted and  (b) asked to provide its expertise by his Department prior to his decision to establish a taskforce on the closure of Pfizer's site in Kent; and whether the agency was asked to join the taskforce.

David Willetts: I have discussed the establishment of the taskforce with the chief executive of the South East of England Development Agency (SEEDA).
	SEEDA will be working with the chairman of the taskforce to ensure that everything is being done to mitigate the impact of Pfizer's decision on local jobs and the local communities.

Pfizer

Andrew Miller: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what estimate his Department has made of the effects on the pharmaceutical industry in the UK of the decision by Pfizer to close its site in Kent

David Willetts: It is too early to be able to judge the full impact of the closure of the site on the pharmaceutical industry in the UK.
	Pfizer's decision should be seen in the context of major restructuring in the pharmaceutical sector which is moving from large in-house R and D operations to smaller specialist R and D sites and greater collaboration with drug discovery and development companies and academic research units, and is not a reflection on the UK R and D environment. The UK retains world class activity including Pfizer's Regenerative Medicine Unit in Cambridge.

Pfizer

Andrew Miller: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills if he will meet representatives of the Royal Society of Chemistry to discuss the implications for scientific research of the decision by Pfizer to close its site in Kent.

David Willetts: I would be happy for the Royal Society of Chemistry to send me its view of the implications for scientific research of the decision by Pfizer to exit its site at Sandwich.

Pfizer

Andrew Miller: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills when he was informed of the decision by Pfizer to close its site in Kent.

David Willetts: The company notified Ministers in confidence on 24 January of their plans to exit their facility at Sandwich.

Royal Mail: Privatisation

Anne-Marie Morris: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills whether he has plans to require the traditional red post box and royal monogram to be preserved under his proposals for privatisation of the Royal Mail.

Edward Davey: The colour and design of post boxes are an operational matter for Royal Mail, and will remain so in the future. The company has stated publicly that it cherishes its distinctive and much loved red postboxes and that it is absolutely committed to ensuring that they remain a distinctive part of our communities.

Teachers: Qualifications

Gareth Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what proportion of teaching staff in each university hold teaching or training qualifications, including PGCEs; and if he will make a statement.

David Willetts: holding answer 3 February 2011
	 Information on staff in Higher Education Institutions is published by the Higher Education Statistics Agency (HESA). HESA only hold information on the highest qualification held by staff, so it is not possible to identify all staff with teaching or training qualifications. Therefore, the information is not available in the form requested.
	The Higher Education Academy (HE Academy) has developed the UK Professional Standards Framework (UK PSF) in collaboration with the higher education sector. The framework forms the basis of training for higher education teaching staff and it sets out nationally defined criteria for expertise in teaching and supporting learning in HE. The HE Academy accredits provision by HE Institutions of programmes aligned to the UK PSF. To date 367 programmes have been accredited across 133 UK higher education institutions.
	This Government are committed to ensuring teaching excellence across the higher education sector. We are exploring with the sector ways in which excellent teaching can be promoted and incentivised, including through training. Plans for our wider programme of reform of higher education will be set out in the forthcoming White Paper.

CABINET OFFICE

Chequers: Operating Costs

Jon Trickett: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office what estimate he has made of the running costs of Chequers, including the cost of  (a) staff,  (b) utility charges,  (c) council tax,  (d) telephone costs,  (e) cleaning,  (f) insurance,  (g) maintenance and  (h) entertainment since the 2010 general election.

Francis Maude: The Cabinet Office does not hold an estimate on the running costs of Chequers overall.
	Chequers is administered by independent trustees who receive an annual grant from the Cabinet Office towards its maintenance and to cover civilian staff employed at Chequers in accordance with the Acts.
	The grant for the financial year 2010-11 was agreed under the previous Administration. Information will be included in the annual Cabinet Office report and accounts which will be published before summer recess.

Civil Servants: Location

Helen Jones: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office 
	(1)  whether he has had any discussions on moving civil service jobs from London to Warrington; and if he will make a statement;
	(2)  how many civil service jobs he plans to move out of London in the next five years; and what criteria he will apply to determine the new locations for such jobs.

Francis Maude: holding answer 1 February 2011
	As at end March 2010, 5,064 civil service posts had been relocated from London and the South East to the North West, of which 41 went to Warrington. There are currently no plans to relocate further posts, however relocation of Government staff outside of London and the South East continues to be considered amongst other options to deliver the savings set out at the spending review and increase the efficiency of the Government's estate.
	It is the Government's property strategy to implement and manage a system of National Property Controls across the central civil and operational estate as well as setting up Property Vehicles (PVs) that will make savings through a more coordinated approach to property asset management of the central civil office estate. As a first step, the Government Property Unit will set up pilot PVs for the central London and Bristol office estate from 2011-12.
	The current spending controls on government property will result in a reduction in both the cost and size of the estate. As at September 2010, the moratorium had resulted in estate cost reductions of over £18 million and is on track to deliver £49 million by the end of the financial year. As the estate reduces in size, retained buildings will be utilised more intensively wherever possible. This reduction of property in London and elsewhere could see posts being relocated to areas close to London, and where there is a strong business case, to other parts of the country.

Public Houses

Chris Ruane: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office how many  (a) public houses and  (b) clubs closed in each of the last 10 years.

Nick Hurd: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the UK Statistics Authority. I have asked the authority to reply.
	 Letter from Stephen Penneck, dated February 2011:
	As Director General for the Office for National Statistics, I have been asked to reply to your recent Parliamentary Question asking how many (a) public houses and (b) clubs closed in each of the last 10 years.
	Annual statistics on the number of enterprise deaths are available from 2002 onwards in the ONS release on Business Demography at:
	www.statistics.gov.uk
	The table below contains the latest statistics, which show the number of enterprise deaths in the UK for public houses/bars and licensed clubs.
	
		
			  Enterprise deaths in the UK 2002-09 
			   Public houses and bars  Licensed clubs 
			 2002 7,810 475 
			 2003 9,585 550 
			 2004 10,080 580 
			 2005 9,080 555 
			 2006 7,915 500 
			 2007 7,905 535 
			 2008 7,325 505 
			 2009 7,725 595

CULTURE MEDIA AND SPORT

Digital Broadcasting: Radio

Martin Horwood: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport 
	(1)  when he expects DAB digital radio services to be launched for  (a) Wyvern FM,  (b) Sunshine Radio,  (c) Nation Radio,  (d) Shuffle,  (e) BBC Hereford and Worcester and  (f) BBC Gloucestershire;
	(2)  what criteria the DAB digital radio broadcast licensee for Gloucestershire will use to determine which services to launch and when;
	(3)  what estimate he has made of the non-digital listening figures for  (a) Wyvern FM,  (b) Sunshine Radio,  (c) Nation Radio,  (d) Shuffle,  (e) BBC Hereford and Worcester and  (f) BBC Gloucestershire.

Edward Vaizey: Local multiplex licences for Gloucestershire and Hereford and Worcester have been licensed by Ofcom but are yet to be launched by the commercial operator. Last year Ofcom wrote to the operator asking them to submit their plans for the launch of these multiplexes and discussions are ongoing about a revised launch date, which we hope will be later this year.
	When submitting an application for a multiplex licence the operator must include details of the services which will be carried, Ofcom consider whether the proposed services cater for the tastes and interest of the local people and broadens the range of services in that area. In addition, each multiplex licence includes a requirement to reserve capacity for the relevant BBC's local service.
	The Government have made no assessment of the analogue listening figures of the specific services listed. However, we note that such data is collected and published quarterly by Radio Joint Audience Research (RAJAR).

DEFENCE

Afghanistan: Peacekeeping Operations

Thomas Docherty: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence whether there are any  (a) financial differences and  (b) differences in law between the rights of (i) UK nationals and (ii) nationals of UK Overseas Territories serving the armed forces on operational duty in Afghanistan.

Andrew Robathan: There are no financial or legal differences between the rights of UK nationals and the nationals of UK territories on operational duty in Afghanistan.

Armed Forces: Education

Thomas Docherty: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence whether he has had discussions with  (a) the Secretary of State for Education and  (b) Ministers in the Scottish Executive on the capacity of local primary and secondary schools to accommodate the children of service personnel posted to bases in (i) England and (ii) Scotland on return from Germany following the closure of RAF bases in that country.

Andrew Robathan: A number of factors, including the capacity of schools to educate service children, will be considered and discussed before any final decision on where troops returning from Germany will be based in the UK.
	My right hon. Friend, The Defence Secretary, met my right hon. Friend, First Minister for Scotland on 11 January to discuss a number of issues including future Defence basing. My hon. Friend, the Minister for the armed forces visited Moray on 27 January and met local representatives there.
	In November last year I gave an undertaking to my right hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for Education (Michael Gove), that Ministry of Defence (MOD) officials would keep Department for Education officials informed as plans develop to withdraw our armed forces from Germany by 2020.
	The MOD officials engage with Department for Education and Ofsted officials on a regular basis about the education of service children, including those in Germany. They also routinely have discussions with colleagues from other Government Departments, including the three Territorial Offices, and the Scottish Executive, and will continue to do so as our plans mature.

Armed Forces: Location

John Glen: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will assess the experiences of other countries in relocating members of the armed forces and their families for the purposes of identifying best practice.

Andrew Robathan: The Ministry of Defence is always open to learning from other countries, but has not recently assessed the experiences of other countries in relocating members of the armed forces and their families. Such comparison would need to take into account that the terms and conditions of service for each country's armed forces personnel differ, as do the circumstances of their service.

Armed Forces: Location

John Glen: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what assessment his Department has made of the standard of service it provides to members of the armed forces in relocations from base to base.

Andrew Robathan: Service personnel are provided with an opportunity to give feedback following their relocation. Additionally, the Ministry of Defence holds performance reviews with the contractor where points may be raised by the front line commands. The comments being fed back from the user community indicate that the standard of service delivered is good and the application process is easy to use and is not as labour intensive as it used to be.

Armed Forces: Location

John Glen: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will estimate the average cost of relocation of a member of  (a) the Army,  (b) the Royal Air Force and  (c) the Royal Navy and their family in each of the last five years.

Andrew Robathan: There are too many variables to this question for it to be answered meaningfully, such as where the service man or woman is relocating from and to and whether they are single or have a family to relocate with them.

Armed Forces: Location

John Glen: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence whether his Department conducts satisfaction surveys following the relocation of members of the armed forces from base to base.

Andrew Robathan: An online post relocation feedback process is operated and the statistics are captured as part of a performance review with the contractor. Service personnel also have the option of writing to the contractor and/or the Ministry of Defence with their feedback of the service provided.
	Separately, a selection of service personnel is approached to provide feedback using the annual Armed Forces Continuous Attitude Survey (AFCAS), including those who have recently moved location on posting. The annual AFCAS is published at the following link;
	http://data.gov.uk/dataset/armed_forces_continuous_attitude_survey_headline_results
	A copy of the last AFCAS conducted in 2009 has been placed in the Library of the House.

Armed Forces: Pensions

Jim Murphy: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what meetings  (a) he and  (b) Ministers in his Department have had with armed forces charities to discuss the indexation of pensions and benefits by the consumer prices index rather than the retail prices index.

Andrew Robathan: The subject of the indexation of pensions and benefits using the consumer prices index rather than the retail prices index has been raised in several meetings that I held late last year with armed forces charities. None of these meetings were convened solely to discuss this subject. The charities in question include the Royal British Legion, COBSEO and the War Widows Association. I have also held meetings with the Forces Pension Society to discuss this matter.

British Overseas Territories: Warships

Madeleine Moon: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what the duration was of each operational visit made by each Royal Navy vessel to each Overseas Territory in each year since 2000.

Andrew Robathan: Details of each operational visit made by each Royal Navy vessel have been placed in the Library of the House. In addition to this, there are generally three vessels deployed to the Falkland Islands; an ice patrol vessel deployed to British Antarctic in the austral summer; and two patrol vessels deployed permanently to Gibraltar. The high volume of ship visits to Gibraltar means that full information for Gibraltar could be provided only at disproportionate cost.

Defence: Procurement

Stephen Barclay: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence pursuant to the answer of 23 November 2010,  Official Report, columns 221-2W, on defence: procurement, whether the project histories provided were  (a) updated and  (b) used as working documents throughout the life of each project.

Andrew Robathan: Project History documents were written and updated as necessary during the life of the Nimrod MRA4, Future Integrated Soldier Technology, Queen Elizabeth Class carrier and Specialist Vehicles projects. They are used as reference documents by the respective teams as required. Comprehensive supporting documentation is held by the respective project teams.

Departmental Libraries

Michael Weir: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many  (a) certified and  (b) chartered librarians his Department has employed in each year since 2000.

Andrew Robathan: Librarians are part of the broader banded grade structure in the Ministry of Defence (MOD) but are a recognised profession and where required are employed on the basis that they hold a qualification recognised by the Chartered Institute of Library and Information Professionals (CILIP).
	Within MOD professionally qualified Librarians deploy their skills in the areas of website management and publishing, metadata and taxonomies, corporate memory, Freedom of Information, intelligence, and information assurance as well as in the traditional physical library setting.
	Librarians are not required to be certified or chartered to work within MOD, although development schemes exist to support the achievement of these enhanced professional qualifications.
	It is the responsibility of the individual to record their certified or chartered status within the Human Resources Management System (HRMS) used for personnel management in MOD. Therefore, figures provided reflect only those staff members who have chosen to record their qualification.
	Data from FIRMS (which does not include staff from the non-departmental public bodies, the Royal Fleet Auxiliary or trading funds) is only available since 2004. Prior to this date records are not held centrally and could be provided only at disproportionate cost. Figures from 1 April 2004 for the number of chartered librarians are:
	
		
			  Level of membership  Chartered 
			 2004 22 
			 2005 22 
			 2006 24 
			 2007 23 
			 2008 24 
			 2009 23 
			 2010 24 
		
	
	Further to that, CILIP introduced its Certification scheme in 2005. There is one recorded certified librarian currently working in the Department.

Departmental Senior Civil Servants

Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence which senior civil service staff have left his Department since May 2010; and what  (a) contractual and  (b) non-contractual payments were made in each case.

Andrew Robathan: holding answer 1 February 2011
	 12 members of the senior civil service have left the Ministry of Defence (MOD) since May 2010.
	I am withholding details of compensation and pension payments made to individuals as this is personal data that cannot be released.
	Contractual payments, in accordance with the terms of the Civil Service Compensation Scheme (CSCS) operating at the time, for individuals leaving under early release were made to two individuals. The total cost to the MOD amounted to £282,667. Under the terms of the CSCS, Departments are liable for the cost of early release pension payments from the point at which an individual departs until pension age. The total above is not therefore the amount paid to the two individuals, but the total cost to the Department. There have been no non-contractual payments made to individuals in the period in question.

Departmental Travel

Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how much has been spent on travel by officials of his Department since May 2010.

Andrew Robathan: We do not distinguish between service and civilian expenditure across all categories of travel and subsistence.
	We do, however, hold information on rail and air tickets booked centrally for officials and on travel expenses reimbursed to them for accommodation, subsistence, taxi, bus and underground fares, parking charges, road tolls, most rail and air fares not booked centrally, use of their own vehicle for duty journeys and some car hire costs. Such expenditure totalled some £27 million over the period 1 May to 31 December 2010.
	We have taken a number of measures to improve the value for money of travel by Ministry of Defence staff: we have removed all first-class air travel and, in all but exceptional circumstances, first-class rail and business-class air travel; senior officials have given up their allocated cars and share a smaller number of pooled cars instead; and we have asked all staff to avoid travel at all where the business need can be met in other ways, such as by e-mail and video or audio conferencing.
	By whatever means staff travel, they must do so in a way that is the most economical in both money and official time.

Ex-servicemen: Radiation Exposure

Alison Seabeck: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence 
	(1)  if he will make it his policy to release to  (a) families and  (b) legal representatives of deceased nuclear test veterans the report of the MR 185 post mortem examination carried out on each such deceased veteran;
	(2)  how many MR 185 post mortem examinations on nuclear test veterans have been carried out in each of the last 10 years.

Andrew Robathan: MR185 is a reference number used by the national health service in relation to an epidemiological study which involved the National Radiological Protection Board (NRPB), now part of the Health Protection Agency (HPA). No post mortem examinations were commissioned for the purposes of the study.

Ex-servicemen: Radiation Exposure

Thomas Docherty: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what costs his Department incurred in monitoring the health of nuclear test veterans  (a) in the UK and (b) overseas in each of the last three years;

Michael Meacher: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how much his Department has spent on  (a) commissioning studies into the cancer incidence and mortality rates of nuclear test veterans and  (b) defending legal action taken by nuclear test veterans and their families in the Court of Appeal;

Andrew Robathan: The Ministry of Defence (MOD) has previously spent over £1 million on statistical studies into cancer incidences and mortality rates among former personnel who attended the British nuclear tests. This includes the cost of the three National Radiation Protection Board studies which completed in 2003. For completeness we have also committed some £75,000 plus VAT towards a health needs analysis of former personnel who attended the nuclear tests.
	The NHS has lead responsibility for ensuring the health care needs of ex-service personnel in the UK are met, including nuclear test veterans. Meeting the health care needs of UK nationals who reside overseas lies with the country in which they reside.
	Where ex-service personnel are in receipt of a war pension, the MOD may meet the cost of treatment of accepted disablements, provided that the treatment is clinically necessary for a disablement due to service and is not available through the health system in the country of residence.
	The MOD has estimated that the cost of defending the legal action brought by nuclear test veterans and their families in the Court of Appeal as some £450,000.

Military Aircraft

Angus Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many and what proportion of flights of  (a) military aircraft and  (b) aircraft chartered by his Department to and from Afghanistan have been delayed by more than six hours in each month since December 2009.

Nick Harvey: Officials are collating the information requested. Once this work is complete I will write to the hon. Member.
	 Substantive answer from Nick Harvey to Angus Robertson:
	I undertook to write to you in answer to your Parliamentary Question of 25 January 2011 (Official Report, column 141W) about the number and proportion of flights to and from Afghanistan which have been delayed by more than six hours in each month since 2009.
	The available information for delays to flights to and from Afghanistan is shown in the tables below. The information has been presented to show military and civilian charter flights and passenger or freight payloads and indicates, where appropriate, flights that operate via Middle East hubs. In all cases the data relates to delays to the original departure time. No statistics are recorded for civilian freight charter flights from Afghanistan to the UK. In the months not shown, there were no flights that were delayed more than six hours.
	
		
			  Flights to Afghanistan 
			  Military passenger flights 
			  2010  Total flights  Delayed more than six hours  Proportion in percentage figures 
			 February 22 1 4.54 
			 March 23 3 13.04 
			 April 21 1 4.76 
			 May 20 1 5 
			 October 24 2 8.33 
		
	
	
		
			  Civilian charter passenger flights via the Middle East 
			  2010  Total flights  Delayed more than six hours  Proportion in percentage figures 
			 March 12 1 8.33 
			 May 9 1 11.11 
			 December 11 4 36.36 
		
	
	
		
			  Civilian charter freight flights 
			  2010  Total flights  Delayed more than six hours  Proportion in percentage figures 
			 January 33 2 6.06 
			 February 29 1 3.45 
			 March 39 2 5.13 
			 May 31 3 9.68 
			 June 33 1 3.03 
			 July 27 1 3.70 
			 August 21 1 4.76 
			 October 25 1 4 
			 December 19 2 10.52 
		
	
	
		
			  Military freight flights 
			  2010  Total flights  Delayed more than  six  hours  Proportion in  percentage  figures 
			 January 24 1 4.16 
			 March 26 2 7.69 
			 April 22 5 22.72 
			 May 23 5 21.73 
			 July 27 1 3.70 
			 August 26 6 23.08 
			 October 27 3 11.11 
			 November 26 4 15.38 
			 December 23 1 4.35 
		
	
	
		
			  Inward flights from Afghanistan to the UK 
			  Military passenger flights 
			  2010  Total flights  Delayed more than six hours  Proportion in percentage figures 
			 January 29 8 27.59 
			 February 24 2 8.33 
			 March 26 7 26.93 
			 April 22 2 9.09 
			 May 23 2 8.69 
			 August 25 5 20 
			 September 26 3 11.54 
			 October 30 8 26.67 
			 November 24 1 4.17 
			 December 24 12 50 
		
	
	
		
			  Military passenger flights via the Middle East 
			  2010  Total flights  Delayed more than six hours  Proportion in percentage figures 
			 January 8 3 37.5 
			 March 8 1 12.5 
			 April 24 3 12.5 
			 July 15 2 13.33 
			 August 13 1 7.69 
			 September 22 2 9.09 
			 October 22 3 13.63 
			 November 15 3 20 
			 December 14 5 35.71 
		
	
	
		
			  Military freight flights 
			  2010  Total flights  Delayed more than six hours  Proportion in percentage figures 
			 January 28 14 50 
			 February 28 3 10.71 
			 March 27 10 37.04 
			 April 24 8 33.33 
			 May 22 2 9.09 
			 July 25 2 8 
			 August 24 9 37.5 
			 September 25 2 8 
			 October 26 8 30.79 
			 November 27 8 29.62 
			 December 26 3 30.77

Military Aircraft

Menzies Campbell: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what contingency plans are in place for the eventuality that aircraft are unable to launch from  (a) one of the or  (b) both of the RAF bases responsible for the Quick Reaction Alert.

Andrew Robathan: The operating status of our Quick Reaction Alert (QRA) bases at RAF Leuchars and RAF Coningsby is continually monitored. A range of contingency plans are in place to ensure aircraft can launch when required from one or both bases. Tertiary QRA facilities are also maintained at RAF Marham, Ministry of Defence Boscombe Down and RNAS Culdrose to give enhanced flexibility in the air defence arrangements.

Nuclear Weapons

Caroline Lucas: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence pursuant to the answer to the hon. Member for Newport West of 12 November 2010,  Official Report, column 503W, on nuclear weapons, what  (a) findings,  (b) safety improvement notices and  (c) immediate safety requirements were issued by the Defence Nuclear Safety Regulator in the period 2005 to 2010.

Peter Luff: No immediate safety requirements were issued by the Defence Nuclear Safety Regulator (DNSR) during the period 2005 to 2010.
	A total of four safety improvement notices have been issued during this period as follows:
	
		
			   Subject 
			 2005 Radiation Emergency Preparedness and Public Information Regulations (REPPIR) Submission. 
			 2006 Air Transport Emergency Arrangements. 
			 2010 Babcock Event No 19720: Failure to Reinstate Primary Safety Systems. 
			 2010 Nuclear Propulsion Project Team, Organisation for Delivery of Nuclear Safety by the Approval Authority role. 
		
	
	In respect of the findings, I will write to the hon. Member.
	 Substantive answer from Peter Luff to Caroline Lucas:
	In my answer of 27 January 2011 to your Question about nuclear safety regulation ( Official Report: Column 482W), I undertook to write to you regarding Findings issued by the Defence Nuclear Safety Regulator (DNSR).
	Firstly, it may be helpful if I provide some contextual information with regards to DNSR Findings. A Finding is imposed when an issue is considered to have an impact on safety or environmental protection, and for which a response is required within an agreed timescale. DNSR will determine the wording of the Finding, the proposed response and timescale after consultation with the authorisee, and evidence of a satisfactory conclusion may be sought in subsequent regulatory activities.
	On average DNSR conducts around 100 inspections or exercise assessments each year, each of which may result in multiple Findings. Information is organised by authorisee (i.e. on a site-by-site basis) of which there are 10. Findings are recorded on databases but changes to IT systems mean that the only reliable way of collating this information will be to examine individual inspection / assessment reports. As a result, to respond to your question about the Findings issued by DNSR in the period 2005 to 2010, could only be done at disproportionate cost. If you were to refine your question to, for example a particular authorisee, such as HMNB Clyde or Devonport Dockyard, officials could extract and present this information up to the financial limit allowable for a Parliamentary Question, which is currently £800.

Nuclear Weapons

Caroline Lucas: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence who will be responsible for  (a) managing the project and  (b) issuing contracts in respect of (i) construction of the Epure nuclear warhead testing facilities at Valduc in France and ( b) the related Technology Development Centre at the Atomic Weapons Establishment Aldermaston.

Peter Luff: The commercial strategy for the delivery of both the Epure and the Technology Development Centre facilities, including responsibilities for issuing contracts, is currently being developed jointly by France and the UK.
	Oversight of the Teutates programme will be undertaken by a Joint Management Board with day to day project direction provided by a Joint Project Office. While these management arrangements are joint in nature the commitment of UK expenditure to the programme will still be subject to UK national approvals.

RAF Kinloss

Charles Walker: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what the cost to the public purse of US Navy and German Kriegsmarine ASW assets operating from RAF Kinloss was in  (a) 2010-11 and  (b) 2011-12; and if he will make a statement.

Nick Harvey: holding answer 3 February 2011
	The only cost that can be directly attributed to the US Navy and German Kriegsmarine ASW assets is for fuel. Fuel is supplied to the US under a reciprocal agreement which provides for each nation's assets to be refuelled by the other. The cost of fuel provided for German assets is invoiced and recovered to the Ministry of Defence. The value of fuel provided to US and German assets from RAF Kinloss to date in 2010-11 was £301,000 and £10,000 respectively. No figures are currently available for 2011-12.

RAF Leuchars

Menzies Campbell: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence pursuant to the contribution of the Minister for the Armed Services of 25 January 2011,  Official Report, column 270 on RAF Leuchars, whether the conclusions of the basing review of the defence estate will be announced before the 2011 election purdah period.

Andrew Robathan: Although we are keen to announce results as soon as possible, it is highly unlikely that final decisions will be made and announced before the 2011 election purdah period begins on 22 March 2011. The Ministry of Defence's analysis of the estate and basing implications of the Strategic Defence and Security Review is a complex piece of work which, while progressing to schedule, is very unlikely to be complete before spring.

Tornado Aircraft

Charles Walker: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many Tornado strike aircraft will be retained following the 2010 Strategic Defence and Security Review; and if he will make a statement.

Nick Harvey: holding answer 3 February 2011
	The number of Tornado GR4 aircraft retained will be subject to the ongoing detailed implementation of the Strategic Defence and Security Review. The draw-down plan for the Tornado GR4 fleet will ensure there is no effect on operations in Afghanistan and it is consistent with the transition to the future Typhoon and Joint Strike Fighter fast jet fleet.

TriStar Aircraft

Angus Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence 
	(1)  how much has been spent on upgrading the TriStar fleet's cockpits to date;
	(2)  what contractual costs are associated with cancelling the TriStar fleet cockpit upgrade;
	(3)  whether he plans to upgrade the TriStar fleet's cockpits.

Peter Luff: Discussions are ongoing between the Ministry of Defence and the contractor to determine the legal and commercial positions relating to the expiry of the TriStar cockpit upgrade contract known as the minimum military requirement contract. Until these discussions are finalised no indication can be given as to the contractual cost, if any, associated with not proceeding with the requirement. It is unlikely that the full minimum military requirement programme will be carried out before the TriStar fleet's out of service date of 2013. However, minor modifications to the avionics suite will be undertaken to comply with international air traffic management legislation.
	As at 31 January 2011, the total expenditure on the minimum military requirement avionics upgrade programme for the TriStar fleet was approximately £12.5 million.
	The TriStar fleet will continue to meet its operational requirement and deliver critical support to the armed forces in Afghanistan.

United Nations: Peacekeeping Operations

Madeleine Moon: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many  (a) female British troops and  (b) British troops have been deployed as part of UN peacekeeping forces in each year since 2000.

Andrew Robathan: The following table shows the number of British troops deployed as part of UN military missions(1) in each year since 2001. The number of troops deployed in 2000 is not available. The number given is the number deployed on 31 December of the given year.
	(1) The majority of UK troops were deployed as part of the UN Force in Cyprus, but participated (among others) in missions in the Congo, Sudan, Georgia, Afghanistan, Sierra Leone, and Kosovo.
	The number of women deployed for all UN operations is not held. However we do hold data on Britain's largest peacekeeping contingent (currently 272 of 282) deployed in the UN Force in Cyprus (UNFICYP): the number of female British personnel deployed on UNFICYP is given for each year since 2007.
	
		
			   Number of British troops deployed  Number of female British troops deployed on UNFICYP 
			 2001 456 - 
			 2002 468 - 
			 2003 442 - 
			 2004 440 - 
			 2005 280 - 
			 2006 289 - 
			 2007 299 15 
			 2008 295 34 
			 2009 282 32 
			 2010 282 29

USA: Military Bases

Fabian Hamilton: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence who owns the  (a) buildings,  (b) fixed assets,  (c) site and  (d) infrastructure at each US military base in the UK.

Nick Harvey: All sites comprising United States Visiting Forces bases in the UK are owned by the Ministry of Defence (MOD), although some small areas may be held on a leasehold basis. All buildings, fixed assets and infrastructure are owned by the MOD, with the exception of some utilities infrastructure, which are the property of the relevant utilities companies.

Written Questions: Government Responses

Stephen Barclay: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence when he expects to answer questions 36375 and 36579, on defence procurement, tabled by the hon. Member for North East Cambridgeshire on 24 January 2011.

Andrew Robathan: At the Public Accounts Committee hearing on 15 December 2010, the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Defence (MOD) agreed to provide the Committee with a chronology of those who have fulfilled the role of Senior Responsible Owner for each of the 30 projects outlined in the Major Projects Report 2010. The MOD is currently in the process of collating these data and finalising its response to the Committee. We should therefore be in a position to answer both of these parliamentary questions next week.

DEPUTY PRIME MINISTER

Voting Rights: Prisoners

Thomas Docherty: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister what legal advice he has received on the application of his proposals for prisoner voting rights to elections to the Scottish Parliament.

Mark Harper: The Government have proposed that the right to vote will be restricted to UK Westminster parliamentary and European parliament elections only as that is the minimum currently required by law.
	The question of whether there is a requirement to enfranchise prisoners for elections to the devolved legislatures is currently before the European Court of Human Rights in the case of Toner  v. United Kingdom Appl No. 8195/08. In its written observations on that case, the United Kingdom argued that elections to the Northern Ireland Assembly fell outside the scope of the right to free and fair elections in Article 1 of Protocol 3 to the European Convention on Human Rights.

EDUCATION

Academies: GCSE

Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Education how many and what proportion of year 11 academy school pupils were entered for  (a) physics GCSE,  (b) geography GCSE and  (c) modern foreign language GCSE in the latest period for which figures are available.

Nick Gibb: holding answer 25 January 2011
	In 2010, of the 31,735 pupils at the end of key stage 4 in academies:
	3,138 (9.9%) entered a physics GCSE;
	4,904 (15.5%) entered a geography GCSE; and
	7,525 (23.7%) entered a modern foreign language GCSE.
	 Source:
	The School Performance Tables data.

Children and Family Court Advisory and Support Service: Wales

Elfyn Llwyd: To ask the Secretary of State for Education what the outturn budget for the Children and Family Court Advisory and Support Service in Wales  (a) was for each year from 2007-08 to 2010-11 and  (b) will be for 2011-12.

Tim Loughton: This Department does not hold the information which has been requested; the Welsh Assembly Government are responsible for the Children and Family Court Advisory and Support Service in Wales.

Children in Care: Missing Persons

Ann Coffey: To ask the Secretary of State for Education if he will place in the Library a list of the postholders in each local authority who are responsible for children and young people who go missing or run away from home or care.

Tim Loughton: This information is not collected centrally.

Classical Civilisation: GCSE

Michael Fallon: To ask the Secretary of State for Education for what reasons GCSE Classical Civilisation is not recognised as one of the humanities within the new English baccalaureate.

Nick Gibb: holding answer 24 January 2011
	One of the intentions of the English baccalaureate is to encourage wider take up of geography and history. Classical civilisation was not included in the humanities element of the English baccalaureate for the 2010 performance tables because the historical element of the course was not sufficient. We will however be considering comments about the English baccalaureate measure and reviewing the precise definition of the English baccalaureate for the 2011 performance tables.

Curriculum

Stephen Gilbert: To ask the Secretary of State for Education what representations his Department has received from faith groups on the forthcoming national curriculum review.

Nick Gibb: holding answer 21 January 2011
	We have received no formal representation from faith groups on the review of the National Curriculum, which was launched on 20 January 2011. Details about the review's scope and timetable were also published and we have invited all interested parties to respond to the call for evidence to help us shape the new National Curriculum.

Education Maintenance Allowance

John Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Education what estimate he has made of the proportion of those in receipt of an education maintenance allowance who will be eligible for funding from the discretionary learners' fund.

Nick Gibb: We are working with schools, colleges and other stakeholders as we finalise the details of how the enhanced learners' fund will operate. That work will also be informed by the work of the Government's Advocate for Access to Education, the right hon. Member for Bermondsey and Old Southwark (Simon Hughes).
	Evidence from the evaluation of the education maintenance allowance (EMA), together with research into barriers to learning commissioned by the previous Administration, shows that this group represents only around 10% of those currently in receipt of EMA may be prevented from participating in education or training without access to financial support receive appropriate help.

Education Maintenance Allowance

John Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Education if he will place in the Library a copy of his Department's equality impact assessment on replacing the education maintenance allowance.

Nick Gibb: A full equality impact assessment for the introduction of the discretionary learner support fund replacing the education maintenance allowance (EMA) will be published in due course, once final arrangements for the operation of the new fund have been developed. The Department for Education is undertaking that process in consultation with schools, colleges and other stakeholders, informed by the work that the right hon. Member for Bermondsey and Old Southwark (Simon Hughes) is doing in his capacity as the Government's Advocate for Access to Education. On publication a copy will be placed in the House Libraries.

Free School Meals

Iain Wright: To ask the Secretary of State for Education if he will increase the age limit for eligibility for free school meals in line with the increase in the participation age.

Nick Gibb: Free school meals are currently available to pupils in a school Sixth Form, including those who are 19 or over, as long as they began their course of study before attaining the age of 18.
	The Department has no current plans to extend free school meal eligibility to pupils studying in Further Education or Sixth Form Colleges.

Free School Meals: Armed Forces

Michael Fallon: To ask the Secretary of State for Education how many children whose parents served in the armed forces qualified for free school meals in each of the last six years.

Nick Gibb: holding answer 27 January 2011
	From 6 April 2010, children whose parents receive the following have been entitled to receive free school meals:
	income support
	income-based jobseekers allowance
	an income-related employment and support allowance
	support under part VI of the Immigration and Asylum Act 1999
	child tax credit (provided they are not entitled to working tax credit) and have an annual income that does not exceed £16,190 (as assessed by Her Majesty's Revenue and Customs)
	the guarantee element of state pension credit
	In addition, where a parent is entitled to working tax credit during the four week period immediately after their employment ceases, or after they start to work less than 16 hours per week, their children are entitled to free lunches.
	Children who receive an eligible benefit in their own right are also eligible.
	A small number of pupils were recorded as being eligible for and claiming free school meals and also as being service children on the School Census. However, service children are unlikely to meet the free school meal eligibility criteria and the small numbers recorded on the School Census may have been recorded in error.

Members: Correspondence

John Baron: To ask the Secretary of State for Education when he plans to respond to the letter from the hon. Member for Basildon and Billericay of 22 November 2010, on the comprehensive spending review and education maintenance allowance.

Tim Loughton: The Under-Secretary of State for Education, my noble Friend Lord Hill of Oareford, replied to my hon. Friend on 1 February.

Part-time Education

John Mann: To ask the Secretary of State for Education what progress he has made in his discussions with Ofsted on future  (a) registration and  (b) inspection of part-time educational provision.

Tim Loughton: The Department has commissioned a report from Ofsted to look at the quality of private and voluntary sector run alternative provision, a fair proportion of which is part time provision and is therefore not required by law to register as an independent school at present.
	Ofsted advise the study is going very well and they are due to report on their findings at Easter this year. As mentioned in the recent Schools White Paper-The Importance of Teaching, we will make a decision on whether part-time alternative provision should be registered as independent schools and therefore be subject to the appropriate inspection regime when we have considered Ofsted's report.

Personal, Social, Health and Economic Education

Andy Burnham: To ask the Secretary of State for Education 
	(1)  by what mechanism his Department plans to gather evidence for its internal review of Personal, Social, Health and Economic education;
	(2)  when he expects his Department's internal review of Personal, Social, Health and Economic education to be completed.

Nick Gibb: holding answer 26 January 2011
	Decisions relating to the process and timescale for the internal PSHE review have not yet been taken. The Department for Education is currently considering options and further information will be available in due course.

Reading

Fiona Mactaggart: To ask the Secretary of State for Education whether he has made an assessment of the potential effects of book ownership on  (a) propensity to read and  (b) reading ability.

Nick Gibb: The Department has made no assessment of the potential effects of book ownership on propensity to read or reading ability to date.

Schools: Finance

Nicholas Soames: To ask the Secretary of State for Education what funds his Department has assigned to  (a) the Specialist Schools and Academic Trust and  (b) the National College for School Leadership in each of the last five years.

Tim Loughton: Based on figures obtained from the departments accounting system, the amounts assigned to the Specialist Schools and Academic Trust and the National College for School Leadership in the last five years are as follows:
	
		
			  Specialist schools and academic trust 
			   £ 
			 2006-07 21,546 
			 2007-08 28,366 
			 2008-09 18,438 
			 2009-10 17,689 
			 2010-11 (to date) 10,202 
		
	
	
		
			  National college for school leadership 
			   £ 
			 2006-07 91,138 
			 2007-08 113,221 
			 2008-09 106,331 
			 2009-10 121,112 
			 2010-11 (to date) 70,900

Schools: Religious Practice

Adrian Sanders: To ask the Secretary of State for Education if he will estimate the rate of adherence by  (a) primary and  (b) secondary schools to the requirement to hold a daily act of collective worship of a wholly or mainly Christian character.

Nick Gibb: All maintained schools must provide a daily act of collective worship for all registered pupils which reflects the traditions of this country which are, in the main, broadly Christian-although voluntary and foundation schools with a religious character can hold collective worship in accordance with the tenets of their faith.
	Accountability for adherence to the law governing collective worship rests with the head teacher, the school governors and the local authority which are collectively responsible for providing a daily act of collective worship.
	There is no national data available about schools' compliance with their obligations for providing a daily act of collective worship, and therefore we cannot estimate the number of maintained primary and secondary schools which adhere to the requirement to hold a daily act of collective worship of a wholly or mainly Christian character.

Sure Start Programme: Hammersmith and Fulham

Andy Slaughter: To ask the Secretary of State for Education what communications his Department has had with Hammersmith and Fulham council on Sure Start programmes since the date of the announcement of the provisional local government finance settlement for 2011-12.

Sarah Teather: There is enough money in the recently announced Early Intervention Grant (EIG) to maintain the existing network of Sure Start Children's Centres, accessible to all but identifying and supporting families in greatest need.
	I am not aware of any direct communication between my Department and Hammersmith and Fulham local authority on Sure Start since the announcement of the provisional local government finance settlement for 2011-12. Our agents, Together for Children (TFC), report they have had routine discussions about the way in which Hammersmith and Fulham deliver its children's centre programme.

Theology: GCE A-level

Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Education how many pupils were entered for an A-level examination in theology in each of the last five years.

Nick Gibb: holding answer 17 January 2011
	The information requested is set out in the following table:
	
		
			   Number of students entered for A -l evel Theology 
			 2006 14,900 
			 2007 15,593 
			 2008 16,844 
			 2009 17,504 
			 2010 17,895 
			  Source: Performance tables

ENERGY AND CLIMATE CHANGE

Energy: Research

Malcolm Bruce: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change when he expects the results of his Department's Energy Demand Research Project to be published.

Gregory Barker: Ofgem manage the Energy Demand Research Project on behalf of the Department of Energy and Climate Change. Ofgem expect to publish a final report on the project in spring 2011.

Fuel Poverty

Luciana Berger: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what estimate his Department has made of the number of households in fuel poverty in  (a) the private rented sector,  (b) local authority housing,  (c) social housing and  (d) owner-occupied housing in the last year for which figures are available.

Gregory Barker: The most recent year for which fuel poverty data are available is for 2008 and detailed statistics summarising the fuel poor in England are published at:
	http://www.decc.gov.uk/Media/viewfile.ashx?FilePath=Statistics/fuelpoverty/611-fuel-poverty-2008-detailed-tables.pdf&filetype=4&minwidth=true
	The following table shows the number of fuel poor households in England in 2008, split by the four main tenure types:
	
		
			  Tenure  Number of fuel poor households (thousand) 
			  (a) Private rented 600 
			  (b) Local authority 375 
			  (c) RSL 253 
			  (d) Owner occupied 2,107 
			 Total 3,335

Fuel Poverty

Luciana Berger: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what estimate his Department has made of the amount that will be raised from the Energy Company Obligation in the first year of its operation.

Charles Hendry: Subject to the passage of the Energy Bill, the Energy Company Obligation (ECO) will require energy companies to achieve a target level of activity over the programme period. This target will be defined in terms of the improvement in the energy and heating efficiency of the homes which are supported, and not in terms of specific amounts of expenditure which the companies must devote to it.
	The size of the ECO target and also the detailed design of the programme, which will directly influence the cost to energy companies, will be consulted on later this year.

Renewable Energy: Heating

Luciana Berger: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change when he plans to announce his plans for the future of the renewable heat incentive; and if he will make a statement.

Gregory Barker: We expect to be in a position to announce the details of the renewable heat incentive (RHI) scheme shortly and to be open for business from 2011.

Warm Front Scheme

Luciana Berger: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what estimate his Department made of the likely effects on the level of fuel poverty of the reduction in funding for the Warm Front Scheme.

Gregory Barker: The Warm Front scheme is now expected to assist approximately 130,000 households in 2010-11. As announced in the spending review, DECC will fund a smaller, more targeted Warm Front scheme over the next two years and has estimated that the scheme will assist approximately 57,000 households in 2011-12 and 50,000 in 2012-13.

ENVIRONMENT FOOD AND RURAL AFFAIRS

Forestry Commission: Land

Geoffrey Clifton-Brown: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs 
	(1)  if she will consider the merits of including a covenant in all agreements of sale in respect of Forestry Commission land to require new owners to manage woodland sustainably;
	(2)  whether an access covenant will be part of the agreement of sale of any Forestry Commission land.

James Paice: The Government's policy is to protect the public benefits that are currently provided by the public forest estate, including sustainable forest management and public access. The consultation on the future ownership and management of the public forest estate sets out and invites views on the proposals for protecting these benefits. The case for creating legal protection will be considered as part of the consultation. The protection of public benefits will be a key factor in the criteria governing sales that are completed before the consultation is concluded.

Forestry Commission: Land

Andrew Selous: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs if she will list each parcel of land the Forestry Commission owns in South West Bedfordshire constituency; whether any of that land is planned to be sold; and what the status is of each such parcel of land.

James Paice: There is one wood managed by the Forestry Commission in the constituency of South West Bedfordshire. This is the 50 hectare Dedmansey wood, which has been classified as small commercial in the illustrative map which accompanies the current consultation on the future of the public forest estate in England.
	The selection criteria for woodland in the next stage of Forestry Commission England's asset sales programme (2011-12) was published on 27 January and it expects to publish details of the sites it has selected for sale using these criteria by the end of February.

Forestry Commission: Scotland

Ann McKechin: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what discussions she has had with the Scottish Government on the effect on Forestry Commission staff based in Scotland who carry out UK-wide functions of her proposals for the forestry estate in England.

James Paice: Forestry Ministers in England, Wales and Scotland have discussed the UK Government's proposals to consult on the future of the public forest estate in England via correspondence. Officials will continue to hold discussions on matters relating to Forestry Commission GB.

Forests

Bill Esterson: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what mechanism she plans to put in place to prevent the development of forests and woodland sold to private owners.

James Paice: holding answer 4 February 2011
	The Forestry Commissioners' powers to control tree felling as set out in the Forestry Act 1967 apply to all woodland in private ownership in England and the planning system prevents inappropriate and unrestricted development in all forests and woodland.
	The current consultation on the future ownership and management of the public forest estate in England invites comments on what additional measures may need to be put in place in order to ensure the protection and enhancement of public benefits under any alternative ownership and management models.

Wood: Imports

Gregg McClymont: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what progress she has made towards criminalising the  (a) importation and  (b) possession of illegally-logged timber.

Henry Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs whether she plans to bring forward proposals to make the  (a) import and  (b) possession of illegally-sourced timber a criminal offence.

James Paice: We will put in place the necessary legislation to implement the provisions of the EU Illegal Timber (Due Diligence) Regulation in the United Kingdom. The regulation prohibits the first-placing of illegal timber on the EU market, which will restrict its purchase, possession and sale down the supply chain. In accordance with the provisions of the regulation, we will implement the EU Illegal Timber (Due Diligence) Regulation by 3 March 2013. This underlines our commitment to eliminating illegal timber from the UK market.

Wood: Imports

Simon Wright: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what recent estimate she has made of the  (a) amount and  (b) proportion of imported timber which was illegally felled in the latest period for which figures are available.

James Paice: A study of the international illegal timber trade was carried out in 2010 by Chatham House, with funding from the Department for International Development. 'Illegal Logging and Related Trade: Indicators of the Global Response' (Lawson, S. and MacFaul, L, July 2010) estimated that imports of illegally sourced timber and timber products into the UK, in 2008, were 1.5 million cubic metres, Roundwood Equivalent: about 2.6% of total timber imports.

FOREIGN AND COMMONWEALTH AFFAIRS

Asia Bibi

Angie Bray: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what response his Department received to its representations on the release of Asia Bibi, held in Pakistan on blasphemy charges.

Alistair Burt: The UK has engaged at a senior level with the Government of Pakistan on the case of Asia Bibi. I raised her case with the Pakistan Minister for Minorities in December 2010. The Ministry of Minorities has acknowledged our concerns about the case of Mrs Bibi, and our position with regards to the death penalty. The Ministry has also assured our high commission of the importance they attach to the welfare of Mrs Bibi. Officials at our high commission in Islamabad will continue to follow the case closely. I raised the issue of the blasphemy laws, and the importance of reform, with the Pakistan high commissioner on 31 January 2011.

BBC External Services

John McDonnell: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what assessment he has made of the effects on members of the armed forces serving abroad of proposed changes to funding for the BBC World Service.

Jeremy Browne: BBC World Service programmes are made available to UK armed forces abroad through British Forces Broadcasting Service via satellite, with different regions taking different elements of the schedule. This is predominantly in English, with some elements of the Nepali Service for Ghurkhas. It is not anticipated that this provision will change.

Departmental Carbon Emissions

Luciana Berger: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent steps his Department has taken to reduce its carbon emissions to meet the target of reducing central Government carbon emissions by 10 per cent. by June 2011.

Alistair Burt: The Foreign and Commonwealth Office has taken the following steps since May 2010 to reduce its carbon emissions to meet the Government's carbon emissions target:
	Activated power saving settings on our operating system to put desktops into a very low energy mode when not in use.
	Installed voltage regulation equipment in two sites, with plans to install in a third.
	Converted Hanslope Park boilers to run off biodiesel.
	Installed automatic energy meters.
	Reduced office heating temperatures by two degrees to 19- 20° C.
	Decommissioned an energy inefficient pre-fabricated building.
	Conducted energy audits of the UK estate and will implement the key recommendations.
	Conducted a lighting survey and will install more energy efficient lighting.

Departmental Libraries

Michael Weir: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how many  (a) certified and  (b) chartered librarians his Department has employed in each year since 2000.

Alistair Burt: The Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) currently employs six chartered librarians and no certified librarians. The FCO does not maintain a central historic record of professional qualifications and it would incur disproportionate cost to establish such detail for each of the last 10 years from relevant staff file records.

Departmental Manpower

Hugh Bayley: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how many staff were employed in his Department's security vetting services in  (a) May 2010 and  (b) December 2010; and where those staff were based.

Alistair Burt: The Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) employs seven members of staff in London and Milton Keynes who manage FCO vetting in compliance with the Government's Security Policy Framework.
	FCO Services, a trading fund of the FCO, conducts vetting on behalf of a number of organisations and Government Departments. In May 2010, they employed 78 staff and in December, 75 staff, providing vetting services to 59 customers across Government. Their staff are based in London and Milton Keynes.

Departmental Press: Subscriptions

Gregg McClymont: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how much his Department has spent on newspapers and magazines since May 2010.

Alistair Burt: Globally, from May to December 2010 the Foreign and Commonwealth Office has spent £168,600 on newspapers and magazines.

Embassies

Denis MacShane: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs which embassies he plans to re-open.

Alistair Burt: The Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, my right hon. Friend the Member for Richmond (Yorks) (Mr Hague), is currently reviewing the Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) network. He will make an announcement about any changes to the FCO network when the review concludes.

Iran: Anti-Semitism

David Amess: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent reports he has received about the dissemination of anti-Semitic material by Iran; what steps he has  (a) taken and  (b) plans to take in the next six months at the United Nations on this issue; and if he will make a statement.

Alistair Burt: I remain deeply concerned at reports of ongoing anti-Semitic remarks in Iran, and attempts to cast doubt on the historical accuracy of the holocaust, including by senior members of the Government. We continue to take a strong stand against such remarks, including in international forums such as the UN. We will work closely with other countries to ensure that future meetings on racism at the UN address all forms of racism, including anti-Semitism, and do not become platforms for the dissemination of deeply offensive anti-Semitic viewpoints. On Holocaust memorial day last week we underlined our commitment to ensuring that the horror of the holocaust is not forgotten and never repeated.

Iran: Nuclear Power

David Amess: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what reports he has received on the Iranian nuclear programme since December 2010; and if he will make a statement.

Alistair Burt: We continue to be gravely concerned about the Iranian nuclear programme. The most recent International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) Director General's report made clear that Iran had not suspended its enrichment related activities as required by six UN Security Council Resolutions. It also showed Iran had produced 3,183 kg of 3.5% low enriched uranium and 33 kg of 20% low enriched uranium, a significant step towards weapons grade enrichment, and was still failing to address the wide range of concerns over possible military dimensions of its programme.

Iran: Nuclear Power

David Amess: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what assessment he has made of progress in discussions between Iran and the P5+1 about Iran's nuclear programme since December 2010; and if he will make a statement. [R]

Alistair Burt: The latest round of talks between the P5+1 and Iran on Iran's nuclear programme took place on 21-22 January 2011 in Istanbul. The P5+1 put forward substantial ideas technical proposals for how Iran could begin to build confidence in its nuclear programme but Iran refused to discuss these ideas or engage further until the P5+1 agreed to certain pre-conditions. The P5+1 were united in their view that these pre-conditions were unacceptable and therefore no further talks have been scheduled. However, the P5+1 reaffirmed their commitment to pursuing a diplomatic solution and that the door to further dialogue remained open. It will now be essential to increase the pressure on Iran to convince it to negotiate seriously.

Iran: Politics and Government

David Amess: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what reports he has received of Iranian involvement with  (a) Islamist militants and  (b) terrorist proxies since December 2010; and if he will make a statement.

Alistair Burt: We have longstanding and serious concerns about Iran's support to various militia and proxy groups, including Hezbollah, Hamas and militant groups in Afghanistan. Iran's support for these groups is a force for instability across the middle east and more widely.
	The UN Panel set up to monitor implementation of UN Security Council Resolution 1929 is investigating a shipment of arms recently intercepted in Nigeria which appears to be of Iranian origin. Although the final destination of the arms is as yet unclear, it is cause for serious concern.
	We will continue to push for full implementation of relevant Security Council Resolutions and give our full support to efforts to pursue and investigate illegal shipments by Iran.

Middle East: Armed Conflict

Simon Danczuk: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent discussions his has had with his Israeli counterpart on the Knesset's approval of investigations into the funding of human and civil rights groups operating in Israel and the Occupied Palestinian Territories.

Alistair Burt: We are aware that some organisations may face probes into their funding following a Knesset decision to order the House Committee to examine setting up a parliamentary panel of inquiry. The House Committee will now decide whether to set up an investigation, and the Knesset will consider the issue again before any committee is set up.
	Our ambassador in Tel Aviv discussed the issue with Israeli ambassador to the UK Ron Prosor shortly after the Knesset vote.
	We attach importance to the values set out in Israel's Declaration of Independence and basic laws, including the need to respect civil liberties. We are concerned by anything that could detract from these and will be watching this debate carefully.

Palestinians: Festivals and Special Occasions

Mark Williams: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs whether the Government has any plans to mark Palestinian Nakba day on 15 May 2011.

Alistair Burt: We do not have plans to mark Palestinian Nakba day. However we are concerned about the breakdown in negotiations on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict and are working closely with the US and the EU to see a return to negotiations. The Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs has made clear that the entire international community, including the US, should support 1967 borders as the basis for resumed negotiations.

Tunisia: British Nationals Abroad

Angus Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what estimate he has made of the number of British nationals in Tunisia on the latest date for which figures are available.

Alistair Burt: As of 31 January 2011, 194 British nationals were registered with our embassy in Tunis. We estimate around 50 to be independent travellers and the remainder residents of Tunisia. We expect the number of British nationals to increase as the expatriate community gradually returns.

Uganda: Foreign Relations

David Lammy: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what meetings he has had with officials from the Government of Uganda since 11 May 2010.

Henry Bellingham: The Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, my right hon. Friend the Member for Richmond (Yorks) (Mr Hague), and I have had several discussions with senior members of the Ugandan Government since May 2010. I last met President Museveni and Foreign Minister Sam Kutesa during my visit to Uganda last July. In addition, the Under-Secretary of State for International Development, my hon. Friend the Member for Eddisbury (Mr O'Brien), met President Museveni in Uganda last May.

Uganda: Homosexuality

David Lammy: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent assessment he has made of levels of respect for the human rights of sexual minorities in Uganda.

Henry Bellingham: Homosexuality is illegal in Uganda and in general there is little social tolerance of sexual minorities. It is a commonly-held belief that homosexuality is in some way an un-African practice introduced into Uganda and promoted by European societies. A Private Member's Bill known as the Anti-Homosexuality Bill was tabled in Parliament in 2009. This would introduce new criminal sanctions for members of sexual minorities and those who promote their rights. The Government of Uganda have said that they will not allow the Bill to pass in its current form and it is not currently clear whether the Bill will make further progress.
	We have made clear to the Government of Uganda the British Government's position on respect for the rights of sexual minorities on several occasions. Our high commission in Kampala also remains in close touch with, and has provided support for, Ugandan civil society groups campaigning for the rights of sexual minorities.

Uganda: Homosexuality

David Lammy: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what representations has he received on the rights of sexual minorities in Uganda since 11 May 2010.

Henry Bellingham: I have discussed and corresponded with numerous Members and peers on the status of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) rights in Uganda. In addition, our high commission in Kampala remains in close touch with civil society groups that are campaigning for LGBT rights in Uganda, to whom they have offered their support.

Uganda: Homosexuality

David Lammy: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what discussions he has had with the Ugandan Government on the death of David Kato.

Henry Bellingham: In my statement on the tragic murder of David Kato released last week, I urged the Ugandan authorities to investigate this crime thoroughly and bring the perpetrators to justice. Our high commission in Kampala has reinforced these points in discussion with the Ugandan authorities. I understand that the Ugandan police force has arrested two men in connection with Mr Kato's murder and is continuing its investigations.

United Nations

Rushanara Ali: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how much of the Government's assessed contribution to the UN regular budget was allocated to each agency, programme or body in each of the last four years.

Henry Bellingham: The UK contribution to the UN regular budget is assessed as an overall percentage of that budget. For 2010, 2011, and 2012 the UK contribution is 6.604%. For 2007, 2008 and 2009, the UK contribution was 6.642%. This percentage contribution is the same for all parts of the UN regular budget, and does not vary by agency, programme or body.
	The UN budgeting process allocates funds from the regular budget to activities (for example, human rights, development, management services) rather than directly to individual UN bodies. The budget is decided on a two year cycle and is split into 37 sections, or fascicles. Allocations for 2006 and 2007, 2008 and 2009, and 2010 and 2011 are presented as follows.
	
		
			  US Dollars 
			2006-07  2008-09  2010-11 
			 1 Overall policymaking 77,303,000 95,553,700 101,770,300 
			 2 GA and Ecosoc affairs 581,705,000 662,261,100 672,835,300 
			 3 Political affairs 709,126,000 962,582,700 1,313,276,700 
			 4 Disarmament 19,854,100 22,459,700 22,134,800 
			 5 PKOs 90,904,700 105,788,500 112,903,800 
			 6 Outer space 6,391,600 7,642,300 8,023,000 
			 7 ICJ 38,248,100 45,127,700 46,605,800 
			 8 Legal affairs 42,817,000 47,708,200 45,396,500 
			 9 Economic and social affairs 151,414,600 165,534,400 159,110,900 
			 10 LDCs 4,734,000 5,862,900 7,406,100 
			 11 NEPAD 8,640,000 12,208,100 12,641,000 
			 12 Trade and development 112,726,400 133,094,600 136,629,800 
			 13 International Trade centre 27,533,000 30,873,700 31,793,300 
			 14 Environment 13,165,400 14,059,800 14,211,300 
			 15 Human Settlements 19,564,900 20,801,600 20,564,700 
			 16 Drugs, crime, terrorism 34,061,000 37,575,900 39,191,100 
			 17 ECA 100,194,600 128,642,100 123,662,500 
			 18 ESCAP 79,907,000 92,415,800 98,326,800 
			 19 ECE 57,372,000 64,726,300 65,547,100 
			 20 ECLAC 94,905,400 103,159,300 110,129,900 
			 21 ESCWA 58,318,300 64,718,700 63,298,400 
			 22 Technical cooperation 45,912,600 54,832,500 52,246,200 
			 23 Human Rights 77,958,500 127,353,200 141,191,400 
			 24 Refugees 68,501,600 80,005,500 83,717,500 
			 25 Palestine refugees 38,772,600 45,070,100 43,712,400 
			 26 Humanitarian assistance 26,677,600 29,861,800 29,399,900 
			 27 Public information 171,325,600 189,374,600 184,996,600 
			 28 Management and support services 530,374,300 492,429,300 509,206,300 
			 29 Office of ICT - 73,329,100 72,120,000 
			 30 Internal Oversight 29,620,600 37,482,700 38,925,000 
			 31 Jointly finance admin act.s 9,174,700 12,455,400 11,993,400 
			 32 Special Expenses 93,650,800 100,372,700 114,134,100 
			 33 Construction etc 98,122,900 62,199,400 60,326,800 
			 34 Safety and Security 169,685,900 207,925,900 238,447,700 
			 35 Development Account 21,511,900 18,651,300 23,651,300 
			 36 Staff assessment 436,061,800 510,939,600 550,749,900 
			 37 UN Women - - 6,957,100 
			 38 Grand total 4,146,237,500 4,865,080,200 5,367,234,700 
			  Notes: 1. Breakdown of the UN Regular Budget for the period 2006-2011. 2. For the period to 2009, the UK contributed 6.642% of these figures. From 2010 the UK rate has been 6.604%

HEALTH

Health Services: Standards

Bill Esterson: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what the evidential basis is for the effectiveness in improving health outcomes of his policy on reforming health care commissioning.

Paul Burstow: The White Paper 'Equity and Excellence: Liberating the NHS' was published in July 2010 and set out our long-term vision for the national health service. Shortly after, we set out further details of our proposals to devolve power and responsibility for commissioning services to local consortiums of general practitioner practices in 'Liberating the NHS: Commissioning for Patients', with the consultation on these proposals running from July to October.
	In December, we published our response to the consultation in 'Liberating the NHS: Legislative framework and next steps' setting out our plans in further detail. This document set out a full analysis of the responses to the consultation and how our proposals were modified in light of the consultation.
	On 19 January 2011 the Health and Social Care Bill was published. Alongside the Bill, we published an impact assessment that set out further detail on the evidence base for the policies.
	All of these documents have already been placed in the Library.

Myasthenia Gravis: Medical Treatments

Steve Brine: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what assessment his Department has made of the  (a) adequacy and  (b) cost of provision of orphan treatments for myasthenia gravis on the NHS.

Paul Burstow: No drugs licensed for use in the treatment of myasthenia gravis are classified as orphan medicines by the European Medicines Agency.
	Information on drugs included in section 10.2.1 of the British National Formulary (BNF), 'Drugs that enhance neuromuscular transmission', and dispensed in the community in England in 2009 (the most recent full year for which information is available) is given in the following table:
	
		
			  BNF chemical name( 1,2)  Prescription items (thousand)( 3)  Net ingredient cost (NIC)(£000)( 4) 
			 Distigmine bromide 3.2 143.2 
			 Edrophonium chloride 0.0 0.1 
			 Neostigmine bromide 2.0 131.0 
			 Pyridostigmine bromide 48.3 2,721.8 
			 (1) Neostigmine and edrophonium are also used for other purposes (neuromuscular blockade) and distigmine is primarily used for urinary retention. (2) Immunosuppressant therapy is also used in the treatment of myasthenia gravis. Information on immunosuppressant drugs is not included as these are prescribed for a wide range of conditions. (3) A figure of 0.0 indicates less than 50 prescription items. (4) NIC is the basic cost of a drug. It does not take account of discounts, dispensing costs, fees or prescription charges income.  Source: Prescription Cost Analysis (PCA) system

NHS: Finance

Grahame Morris: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what assessment he has made of the efficiency of  (a) public investment and  (b) private borrowing in terms of the cost to the taxpayer of providing NHS services; and if he will make a statement.

Simon Burns: Capital investment proposals in the national health service are considered on a case by case basis and assessed against key approval criteria set down by the Department and Treasury. Each proposal is subject to a value for money test which compares the risk adjusted, whole life costs and benefits of a public capital funded option (known as the Public Sector Comparator) with one provided under the Private Finance Initiative (PFI). This involves a private sector consortium raising finance either through a loan from a bank or from the capital markets (bonds).
	Under the PFI option project risks (costs overruns, design faults etc) are transferred from the public sector authority to the PFI consortium for which the public sector pays a premium in the form of the private sector's higher overall borrowing charges (they include a margin for project risk). So in general terms, if the cost of this premium is lower to the public sector than the quantified value of the risk retained under the Public Sector Comparator, this, combined with any efficiency gains achieved in the PFI option, will determine if the PFI proposal represents better value for money and can be approved to go ahead.

NHS: Finance

Grahame Morris: To ask the Secretary of State for Health 
	(1)  what assessment he has made of the reasons for the difference in the cost of providing healthcare services by  (a) a private sector acute healthcare provider and  (b) an NHS acute healthcare provider; and if he will make a statement;
	(2)  with reference to clause 61 of the Health and Social Care Bill, what assessment he has made of the effects of corporation tax for  (a) private health providers and  (b) NHS providers on competition in the market; and whether he has assessed the effects that corporation tax may have on the prices charged by such providers.

Paul Burstow: The impact assessment for the Health and Social Care Bill (published on 19 January 2011) includes a partial assessment of factors affecting the costs incurred by national health service bodies and private providers, respectively, in delivering health services for NHS patients. The key conclusion is that some of these factors appear to increase costs for NHS bodies relative to private providers, whilst other factors appear to increase costs for private providers relative to NHS bodies. However, based on the information held centrally, it has not been possible to determine, on balance, whether NHS bodies or private providers of NHS services are systematically advantaged or disadvantaged relative to the other.
	Additional data collection and analysis would be needed to quantify some of the key factors, for example, to reflect the fact that private providers tend to treat less complex cases. With regard to corporation tax, however, this would not affect the accounting cost of providing NHS services, because it is a tax on profit, and would not affect the prices paid for NHS services under the national tariff.
	The impact assessment is published on the Department's website at:
	www.dh.gov.uk/prod_consum_dh/groups/dh_digitalassets/documents/digitalasset/dh_123582.pdf

Psychiatry

Chris Ruane: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many psychiatrists specialising in the treatment of children the NHS employed in each of the last 10 years.

Paul Burstow: The following table gives the number of psychiatrists specialising in the treatment of children in the years requested. This information has been provided by the NHS Information Centre and is taken from their annual NHS Workforce Census which is published in March each year.
	
		
			  Hospital and Community Health Services: medical staff specialising in child and adolescent psychiatry, England as at 30 September each year 
			  Number  (headcount) 
			   All staff  Of which: Consultants 
			 2000 826 481 
			 2001 823 486 
			 2002 805 459 
			 2003 860 505 
			 2004 956 557 
			 2005 1,039 604 
			 2006 1,060 615 
			 2007 1,084 627 
			 2008 1,124 645 
			 2009 1,098 658 
			  Notes: Data quality: The NHS Information Centre for health and social care seeks to minimise inaccuracies and the effect of missing and invalid data but responsibility for data accuracy lies with the organisations providing the data. Methods are continually being updated to improve data quality. Where changes impact on figures already published, this is assessed but unless it is significant at national level figures are not changed. Impact at detailed or local level is footnoted in relevant analyses.  Source: The NHS Information Centre for health and social care Medical and Dental Workforce Census

HOME DEPARTMENT

Breathalysers: Roads

Jim Fitzpatrick: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what progress has been made on type approval for evidential roadside breath testing devices; and by what date she expects such devices to be in use by police forces.

James Brokenshire: Type approval depends on compliance of the approved device with a Home Office specification. Our technical advisers are currently finalising the specifications for both an evidential roadside breath test device for use in suspected drink driving cases and a roadside drug screening device. We expect work on both to be completed by the end of April 2011. Once a specification has been issued, future progress depends on manufacturers putting devices forward for approval and the performance of such devices in the necessary tests.
	Purchase of devices once approved is a matter for individual chief officers of police.

Control Orders: Railways

John Stanley: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many people  (a) entered and  (b) departed from the UK at (i) Ebbsfleet station and (ii) Ashford International station in the latest year for which figures are available.

Damian Green: While the UK Border Agency holds information on passengers entering the UK at Ebbsfleet and Ashford International stations, these figures are supplied and owned by Eurostar. Information on passengers departing the UK from these stations is requested occasionally by UK Border Agency. All information supplied by Eurostar to the UK Border Agency is held commercial in confidence.

Crime: Warwickshire

Chris White: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many  (a) vehicle crimes,  (b) robberies,  (c) violent crimes and  (d) drug-related crimes were recorded in Warwickshire in each year since 2005.

James Brokenshire: The available information is given in the following table.
	The term "violent crime" is no longer used in relation to the police recorded crime statistics and figures for offences of violence against the person have been provided.
	Data collected centrally on recorded crime do not identify whether offences are drug related. The recorded crime statistics do include the number of specific drug offences recorded by the police and the available information is given in the table.
	
		
			  Selected offences recorded by the police in Warwickshire 
			  Number of offences 
			   Vehicle crime( 1)  Robbery  Violence against the person  Drug offences 
			 2005-06 7,076 429 6,569 1,317 
			 2006-07 7,649 488 7,386 1,593 
			 2007-08 5,790 375 7,526 1,359 
			 2008-09 5,769 334 5,957 1,314 
			 2009-10 4,740 280 5,302 1,645 
			 (1) Includes theft of and from a vehicle and interfering with a motor vehicle.

DNA: Databases

David Davis: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department for what reasons a DNA record may be deleted from the National DNA Database.

James Brokenshire: At present, the retention and destruction of police records, including DNA profiles held on the National DNA Database, is an operational issue for chief officers to consider. The Association of Chief Police Officers (ACPO) has issued guidance to chief officers on the consideration of applications from individuals for the removal from police records of personal information, including DNA records.
	The guidance, known as the Exceptional Case Procedure, is incorporated within the 'ACPO Retention Guidelines for Nominal Records on the Police National Computer' and has been published on the ACPO website at:
	http://www.acpo.police.uk/documents/PoliceCertificates/SubjectAccess/Retention%20of%20Records06.pdf

Theft: Dogs

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many cases of dog theft have been recorded in each of the last five years.

James Brokenshire: The information requested is not available centrally. It is not possible to identify offences of dog thefts from the police recorded crime statistics collected by the Home Office.

Theft: Oil

Mark Tami: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many thefts of domestic oil were reported in each police authority area in each of the last five years.

James Brokenshire: The information requested is not available centrally. It is not possible to identify offences of theft of domestic oil from the police recorded crime statistics collected by the Home Office.

INTERNATIONAL DEVELOPMENT

Afghanistan

Tobias Ellwood: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development how many officials of his Department allocated to work on Afghanistan were based in  (a) the UK,  (b) Kabul and  (c) Helmand province in the latest period for which figures are available.

Andrew Mitchell: There are 216 Department for International Development (DFID) staff in Western Asia and Stabilisation Division. In the region of one third work solely on or in Afghanistan, alongside Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) and Ministry of Defence (MoD) colleagues, based in the UK, Kabul and Lashkar Gah. There are other DFID staff who cover Afghanistan as part of their wider responsibilities. We do not provide more detailed information for security and operational reasons.

JUSTICE

Chief Coroner

Robert Flello: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what legal advice he received before drafting legislation on the abolition of the post of Chief Coroner.

Jonathan Djanogly: The Public Bodies Bill is the responsibility of the Cabinet Office. The decision to include the office of Chief Coroner in the Bill for abolition was a policy decision, and was reached in the normal way with policy and legal advice from departmental officials.

Chief Coroner

Robert Flello: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice 
	(1)  what the cost to the public purse was of the post of Chief Coroner for each category of costs in the last year in which figures are available;
	(2)  if he will publish a timetable for the implementation of outstanding provisions of the Coroners and Justice Act 2009.

Jonathan Djanogly: The office of Chief Coroner has not incurred any cost over the last year as the office has not been created. I made a statement to the House on 14 October 2010,  Official  Report, columns 37-38WS, outlining the Government's plans to abolish the office through the Public Bodies Bill and transfer certain functions to other appropriate bodies. Discussions with the senior judiciary about which functions most appropriately sit with the judiciary are ongoing and it would, therefore, be inappropriate to publish any form of timetable until those discussions are concluded. The Government are keen to progress as quickly as possible.
	I am pleased, though, that we will shortly be consulting on a Charter which will set out the standards to be expected by all those who come into contact with the coroners system.

Community Orders

Kelvin Hopkins: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many instances of  (a) threats and  (b) violence against staff by offenders were recorded during unpaid work placements in 2009-10.

Crispin Blunt: The following table shows the number of threatening and violent incidents against probation staff recorded during unpaid work placements in 2009-10.
	
		
			  Category  Number of incidents 
			 Threatened with an offensive weapon 5 
			 Threat with intent to kill 5 
			 Intimidation 106 
			 Physically assaulted/violence 7 
			 Verbally assaulted 239 
			 Total 362

Exports: Afghanistan and Iraq

Bob Stewart: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice 
	(1)  how many people have been  (a) charged with and  (b) convicted of exporting ADE-651 bomb detectors and similar devices to Afghanistan since January 2010;
	(2)  how many people have been  (a) charged with and  (b) convicted of exporting ADE-651 bomb detectors and similar devices to Iraq since January 2010.

Crispin Blunt: As information collated centrally by the Ministry of Justice does not include the circumstances of offences other than those specified in a statute, it is not possible to identify specific offences relating to exporting ADE-651 bomb detectors and similar devices to Afghanistan or Iraq.
	The Department for Business, Innovation and Skills has banned the export of the ADE 651 and similar devices to those two countries under the Export Control Act 2002, with effect from 27 January 2010.

Firearms: Community Orders

Kelvin Hopkins: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many instances of firearms being discharged when offenders were leaving unpaid work placements were recorded in  (a) 2008-09 and  (b) 2009-10.

Crispin Blunt: Information is not collected from the Probation Trusts in sufficient detail to answer this question. However, data are available on the number of incidents related to both the discovery of firearms and threats with intent to kill (firearm related) that took place during unpaid work placements. Figures on these two categories are therefore provided in the following table for 2008-09 and 2009-10.
	
		
			  Category  2008-09  2009-10 
			 Discovery of firearms 0 1 
			 Threat with intent to kill-firearm related 0 1 
			 Total 0 2

Offensive Weapons: Prosecutions and Convictions

Karen Buck: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice 
	(1)  how many  (a) prosecutions were brought and  (b) convictions there were for an offence of having an article with a blade or a point (i) in a public place and (ii) on school premises in each region in (A) 2008-09 and (B) 2009-10;
	(2)  how many  (a) prosecutions were brought and  (b) convictions there were for an offence of possession of an offensive weapon without lawful authority or reasonable excuse (i) in a public place and (ii) on school premises in each region in (A) 2008-09 and (B) 2009-10.

Crispin Blunt: The table shows the number of defendants proceeded against at the magistrates court and found guilty at all courts for selected knife offences and offensive weapons in all regions, England and Wales for 2008 to 2009 (latest available).
	Data for 2010 are planned for publication in the spring of 2011.
	
		
			  Number of defendants proceeded against at the magistrates court and found guilty at all courts for selected knife crime offences and offensive weapons( 1) , by region in England and Wales, 2008-09( 2,3,4) 
			Proceeded against  Found guilty 
			  Offence  Region  2008( 4)  2009  2008( 4)  2009 
			 Having an article with a blade or point in a public space or on school premises East Midlands 476 618 434 536 
			  Eastern 553 766 477 676 
			  London 2,276 2,151 1,754 1,648 
			  North East 459 618 399 526 
			  North West 886 1,324 813 1,099 
			  South East 797 1,035 648 844 
			  South West 475 655 413 556 
			  Wales 345 450 299 381 
			  West Midlands 685 831 594 710 
			  Yorkshire and Humberside 595 787 537 670 
			  England and Wales 7,547 9,235 6,368 7,646 
			   
			 Possession of an offensive weapon without lawful authority or reasonable excuse, in a public space or on school premises East Midlands 474 460 361 315 
			  Eastern 570 632 403 386 
			  London 1,880 1,693 1,405 1,123 
			  North East 601 587 455 413 
			  North West 1,022 1,052 816 803 
			  South East 828 714 590 469 
			  South West 430 463 327 289 
			  Wales 390 395 289 274 
			  West Midlands 744 800 600 550 
			  Yorkshire and Humberside 718 695 533 506 
			  England and Wales 7,657 7,491 5,779 5,128 
			 (1) Offences used: Criminal Justice Act 1988 S.139 as amended by Offensive Weapons Act 1996 S.3-Having an article with blade or point in public place Criminal Justice Act 1988 S.139A (1) & (5)(a) added by Offensive Weapons Act 1996 S.4(1)-Having an article with blade or point on school premises Criminal Justice Act 1968 S.139A (2) & (5)(b) added by Offensive Weapons Act 1996 S.4(1)-Possession of offensive weapons on school premises without lawful authority or reasonable excuse Prevention of Crime Act 1953 S.1(1) as amended by Offensive Weapons Act 1996 S.2(1)-Possession of offensive weapons without lawful authority or reasonable excuse (2) The figures given in the table on court proceedings relate to persons for whom these offences were the principal offences for which they were dealt with. When a defendant has been found guilty of two or more offences it is the offence for which the heaviest penalty is imposed. Where the same disposal is imposed for two or more offences, the offence selected is the offence for which the statutory maximum penalty is the most severe. (3) Every effort is made to ensure that the figures presented are accurate and complete. However, it is important to note that these data have been extracted from large administrative data systems generated by the courts and police forces. As a consequence, care should be taken to ensure data collection processes and their inevitable limitations are taken into account when those data are used. (4) Excludes data for Cardiff magistrates court for April, July and August 2008.  Note: The figures presented here have been taken from the Ministry of Justices court proceedings database and are a record of the sentences passed in courts, they will differ from the figures presented in the figures published in the 'Knife Crime Sentencing-Quarterly brief' which are drawn from the Police National Computer.  Source: Justice Statistics Analytical Services-Ministry of Justice

Prisoners: Mental Health

Philip Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice pursuant to the answer of 17 January 2011,  Official Report, column 650W, on prisoners: mental health, what information his Department holds on re-offending rates for people with personality disorders, broken down by length of sentence served.

Crispin Blunt: There is no centrally held list of offenders diagnosed with personality disorders which we can match with re-offending data. Therefore re-offending rates cannot be calculated for these offenders.
	Further information on adult re-offending is available at:
	http://www.justice.gov.uk/publications/reoffendingofadults.htm
	and
	http://www.justice.gov.uk/publications/docs/compendium-of-reoffending-statistics-and-analysis.pdf

Prisons: Public Expenditure

Kelvin Hopkins: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what estimate he has made of the cost to the public purse of a place in a  (a) high security,  (b) Category B,  (c) Category C and  (d) open prison in 2009-10.

Crispin Blunt: The 2009-10 overall average cost per place and per prisoner in the above mentioned category establishments is as follows:
	
		
			  £ 
			  Category  Overall average cost per place  Overall average cost per prisoner 
			 Category B 37,000 37,000 
			 Category C 36,000 36,000 
			 Dispersal (high security) 71,000 74,000 
			 All open 32,000 33,000 
			  Note: Rounded to nearest £1,000 
		
	
	The costs represent the total cost per place/prisoner at each prison where the majority use at the end of each year was for the category that represents the primary or dominant function of the prison. There is no adjustment for prisons holding prisoners of more than one category.
	The overall cost for 2009-10 within each category comprises the direct expenditure on public and private prisons, increased by an apportionment of relevant costs borne centrally and in the Regions by National Offender Management Service (NOMS). This involves some estimation. The figures do not include the cost of prisoners held in police or court cells under Operation Safeguard, nor expenditure met by other Government Departments (e.g. Health and Education). The prisoner escort service costs are included. Expenditure recharged to the Youth Justice Board in respect of young people is included.
	Cost per prison place is expressed in terms of the baseline certified normal accommodation number of places.

Terrorism: Convictions

John McDonnell: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice 
	(1)  how many persons convicted for offences relating to terrorism since 1 January 2001 have subsequently been released;
	(2)  what estimate he has made of the number of persons convicted for offences relating to terrorism since 1 January 2001 who will be released by 31 March 2012.

Crispin Blunt: Data relating to releases of offenders convicted of offences relating to terrorism before 2007-08 are not available and could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.
	For the period 2007-08 - 2009-10, 52 offenders convicted of offences relating to terrorism since January 2001 have subsequently been released from prison. Of these, 36 are currently subject to licence conditions as part of statutory supervision by the probation service until the conclusion of their sentence. The remaining 16 have concluded their supervision and their sentence without any further offending.
	This figure is a breakdown of data previously published in the Home Office's statistical bulletin on Terrorist Arrests and Outcomes. This bulletin may be found in the House of Commons Libraries and at the following web link:
	http://rds.homeoffice.gov.uk/rds/terrorism.html
	Between 1 April 2010 and 31 March 2012, I estimate a further 31 prisoners convicted of offences relating to terrorism may be released. However, the actual number of prisoners released is dependent on any future appeals, parole hearings, deportation proceedings and new cases and sentences.

Theft: Oil

Mark Tami: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many people were convicted of offences involving the theft of oil from domestic premises in each of the last five years.

Crispin Blunt: As information collated centrally by the Ministry of Justice does not include the circumstances of offences other than those specified in a statute, it is not possible to identify from proceedings for theft offences those which were for the theft of oil from domestic premises.

SCOTLAND

Charities: Finance

Ann McKechin: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland on how many occasions he has met representatives of charitable organisations in Scotland to discuss the effect of both the Comprehensive Spending Review and the rise in the level of value added tax on their  (a) activities and  (b) funding.

Michael Moore: I have been in contact with a number of charitable organisations in Scotland on a range of issues, including the comprehensive spending review and the rise in the level of value added tax.

Disability: Children

Cathy Jamieson: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will hold discussions with the Scottish Government on the conclusions and recommendations of the report, Setting the Scene for Scotland's Disabled Children.

David Mundell: I welcome this report, which I am sure will provide valuable background information for the future design and development of policies and services for disabled children in Scotland. I would be happy to discuss its conclusions and recommendations with the Scottish Government.

Disability: Children

Cathy Jamieson: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will hold discussions with the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions on the conclusions and recommendations of the report, Setting the Scene for Scotland's Disabled Children.

David Mundell: I welcome this report, which I am sure will provide valuable background information for the future design and development of policies and services for disabled children in Scotland. I would be happy to discuss its conclusions and recommendations with the relevant minister from the Department for Work and Pensions.

Scottish Parliament: Elections

Ann McKechin: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what discussions he has had with the Interim Electoral Management Board for Scotland on the effect of holding an overnight count in respect of elections to the Scottish Parliament.

Michael Moore: The timing of the count for the Scottish Parliament elections is a matter for individual returning officers and they are confident that the overall result will be known on 6 May. The Interim Electoral Management Board for Scotland (IEMB) published a statement on the timing of the count on 2 February and I will place a copy of this in the Library of the House.
	In recent weeks, the Under-Secretary of State for Scotland, my right hon. Friend the Member for Dumfriesshire, Clydesdale and Tweeddale (David Mundell), has discussed a range of matters related to the forthcoming Scottish Parliament elections with Mary Pitcaithly, the Convener of the IEMB and Regional Counting Officer for Scotland.

TRANSPORT

Electric Vehicles

Martin Horwood: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what information his Department holds on the likely  (a) cost to the public purse and  (b) operational performance of public service all-electric vehicles in (i) 2013, (ii) 2015 and (iii) 2017.

Norman Baker: holding answer 1 February 2011
	Under the £45 million Green Bus Fund the Department for Transport is supporting the purchase of around 500 new low carbon emission buses. Some of these buses will be all-electric buses. All buses supported by the Green Bus Fund have to be ordered by the end of March 2011 and must be in service by the end of March 2012.
	Operators of buses part-funded by the Green Bus Fund are required to provide data to the Department on the performance of those buses in operation. These data will be collated into reports which the Department will publish.

High Speed 2: Staffordshire

Christopher Pincher: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will estimate the cost to the public purse of the High Speed 2 exceptional hardship scheme  (a) for Staffordshire and  (b) in total.

Philip Hammond: The cost of the Exceptional Hardship Scheme is estimated at £50 million over the life of the scheme from launch on 20 August 2010 to its assumed end date around the end of 2011 or early 2012. As applications can come from anywhere along the line of route, this estimate has not been broken down by county.

Industrial Health and Safety

Alok Sharma: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what progress his Department has made on reviewing the health and safety regulations for which it is responsible since his appointment.

Norman Baker: A significant proportion of health and safety regulation within the transport sector has come about following incidents, accidents and the resulting investigations into causal factors. Department for Transport officials are working with colleagues in the Health and Safety Executive to review options for possible consolidation of existing regulation. We are keen to remove unnecessary and restrictive requirements, subject to safety not being compromised.

Salt

Nick Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport 
	(1)  how many tonnes of salt comprise the strategic salt stockpile; at which locations the strategic salt stockpile is stored; and how many tonnes of salt are held at each such location;
	(2)  what arrangements are in place for the distribution of salt from the strategic salt stockpile to  (a) local authorities and  (b) other agencies;
	(3)  what estimate he has made of the number of tonnes of salt supplies that were available at the end of  (a) September 2010,  (b) October 2010,  (c) November 2010 and  (d) the latest period for which figures are available;
	(4)  what discussions he has had with the Welsh Assembly Government on the gritting of roads in Wales; and what recent assistance his Department has offered to local authorities in Wales on this matter;
	(5)  what estimate his Department has made of the  (a) quantity of salt required in the first four months of 2011 and  (b) cost to the public purse of procuring such quantities.

Norman Baker: As a result of the challenges faced during the 2009-10 winter season, particularly those related to salt supplies, an independent winter resilience review, led by David Quarmby CBE was carried out. Among the many review recommendations was one to establish a strategic stockpile of up to 250,000 tonnes, managed by the Highways Agency, to provide a strategic reserve of salt for England through the 2010-11 winter season.
	The strategic salt is held at a number of ports across England including-Ellesmere Port, Birkenhead, Southampton, Strood, Immingham and Teesport. With salt currently both arriving and being distributed from the strategic stockpile the amounts held at each site vary.
	As a result of the early onset and severity of the weather experienced already this winter season, the Secretary of State for Transport requested the Highways Agency to facilitate the import of a further volume of salt of up to 250,000 tonnes. Orders have been placed for this further amount which has started to arrive, with the majority expected between the end of January and mid-February. Storage locations are currently being arranged for the additional strategic salt.
	In September 2010, the total volume of salt available across England, Scotland and Wales was estimated to be over 1,400,000 tonnes. No surveys were carried out in October or November 2010. For this winter season, the Department has introduced an electronic stock monitoring system to monitor salt stock holdings on a weekly basis. From the most recent audit undertaken on 17 January 2010, the total salt stock available in Great Britain is estimated to be over 912,000 tonnes (including the strategic stockpile in England) which compares to just over 243,600 tonnes at the same time last year.
	Following each audit, a winter network group meeting is held at official level. The group brings together the Department for Transport (chair), the devolved Administrations (both Scotland and Wales), the Highways Agency, Transport for London, the Local Government Association (LGA), ADEPT (previously the County Surveyors Society), the Met Office, and the Cabinet Office.
	The purpose of these meetings are to give advice, not direction, to salt suppliers based upon information provided by the Highways Agency and local highway authorities on salt stocks, estimates of future usage derived from Met Office weather forecasts, and an assessment of the available market supply. In addition to this the Group also considers whether any authorities require access to the strategic stock pile.
	Officials from the Welsh Assembly Government are represented at the winter network group and issues of mutual interest regarding salt are discussed. In addition, the Secretary of State also discussed with the Deputy First Minister for Wales on 23 December 2010 the severe weather and salt stocks.
	The quantity of salt required in the first four months of 2011 will depend on a number of factors including the weather. On this basis we have not estimated the cost to the public purse of processing such quantities.

TREASURY

Carbon Reduction Commitment

Huw Irranca-Davies: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what assessment he has made of the additional costs to business resulting from the changes to the Carbon Reduction Commitment announced in the comprehensive spending review.

Gregory Barker: I have been asked to reply.
	The Government decided not to proceed with the recycling of CRC revenues proposed by the previous Administration in order to support the public finances and contribute to the spending plans set out in the spending review. The decision has the additional benefit of creating a clearer price signal in the scheme which participants have asked for.
	The clearer and stronger price signal provided by this change should reduce uncertainty and administrative costs while maintaining energy efficiency measures among participants and the commensurate savings in energy bills.
	The cost impact will depend on the size and type of the participant organisation and how hard they drive energy efficiency within their organisation to reduce their energy bills but typically we expect this to be under 7% for CRC participants.
	The impact on business of our initial changes to the CRC will depend on the extent to which participants reduce their energy consumption before they are required to purchase and surrender allowances in 2012. As previously announced it is our intention deliver further simplification of the CRC and detailed options are being discussed with CRC participants.

Insurance: Motor Vehicles

Rosie Cooper: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer 
	(1)  what regulations govern the rights of those not at fault in road accidents to choose legal representation to pursue a compensation claim; and whether an insurer to one of the parties may impose a legal representative on any party to the claim;
	(2)  if he will consider the merits of introducing proposals to prohibit motor vehicle insurers from giving favourable  (a) instruction and  (b) payment to legal practitioners with whom they have a pre-existing commercial relationship;
	(3)  what regulations govern the free choice of legal representation by persons making claims under motor insurance policies or legal expenses cover policies.

Mark Hoban: A consumer's right to choose legal representation is set out in the Insurance Companies (Legal Expenses Insurance) Regulations 1990 ("the regulations"). The regulations apply to both specific policies for legal expenses cover and, for example, motor insurance policies that include legal expenses cover. In the absence of any legal expenses insurance policy, or where the consumer is not seeking to recover his legal costs from his insurer, there are no restrictions on a consumer choosing his own legal representative to pursue a claim. However, where a consumer has a legal expenses insurance policy to indemnify his legal costs, the insurer may require the use of one of its panel solicitors to pursue the consumer's claim for compensation.
	The regulations are enforced by the Financial Services Authority (FSA), who are obliged to ensure that they are applied effectively and that customers are treated fairly. The FSA sets standards that financial services firms have to meet and takes action if they do not. To support this, there are specific rules for how insurance firms should treat their customers and these rules can be found in their Insurance Conduct of Business Sourcebook (ICOBS).
	The FSA does not have any specific rules relating to insurers' use of legal practitioners with whom they have a pre-existing commercial relationship; however solicitors appointed by an insurer have a duty to their client (the policyholder). Solicitor panels, which are used by the industry, help keep legal costs down (e.g. through pre-agreed fee structures)-and this reduction in costs is fed through to premiums.
	A policyholder who feels he has been treated unfairly by a firm, in this or any other respect, can initiate a formal complaints process by first contacting the firm and, if no satisfactory resolution is found, then referring his complaint to the independent Financial Ombudsman Service ("the FOS"). The FOS is an independent service for settling disputes between businesses providing financial services and their customers. The service is free of charge to consumers.

Members: Correspondence

Catherine McKinnell: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer when the Financial Secretary to the Treasury expects to reply to the letter from the hon. Member for Newcastle Upon Tyne North of 10 December 2010, regarding the Lloyds Action Now campaign.

Mark Hoban: I have replied to the hon. Member.

Members: Correspondence

Catherine McKinnell: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer when he expects to reply to the letter from the hon. Member for Newcastle Upon Tyne North of 10 December 2010, regarding food price speculation.

Mark Hoban: I wrote to all hon. Members on 1 December for use in responding to constituency correspondence on this issue. I am forwarding a copy of my letter.

WORK AND PENSIONS

Centenarian

Rachel Reeves: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many people currently aged  (a) 56 and  (b) 57 years old are expected to live to 100 years old.

Steve Webb: The 2008-based ONS cohort life expectancy projections suggest that approximately up to 91,000 people currently aged 56 and up to 89,000 people currently aged 57 are expected to live to 100 years old.

Life Expectancy: Females

Rachel Reeves: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what the life expectancy is of women currently aged  (a) 55,  (b) 56 and  (c) 57 years old.

Steve Webb: The requested information is presented in the following table.
	
		
			  Cohort life expectancy-women 
			  Age in 2011  Years 
			 55 33.7 
			 56 32.7 
			 57 31.7

Pathways to Work

Stephen Timms: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what proportion of those who started on the Jobcentre Plus Pathways to Work programme in  (a) 2005-06,  (b) 2006-07,  (c) 2007-08 and  (d) 2008-09 entered employment within (i) six months, (ii) 12 months, (iii) 18 months, (iv) two years and (v) three years.

Chris Grayling: Information on jobs achieved through Pathways to Work come from the Department's Pathways to Work database. Within this database, jobs are counted only where they start within 91 days of a customer's last contact with JCP. Jobs occurring after this period are not counted. This is in order to reasonably attribute the job to the activity which takes place through Pathways. The mandatory activity takes on average around nine months from Pathways start. This means that the majority of jobs recorded within this data are obtained within one year and therefore the average time it takes a Pathways customer to find work may appear lower than would otherwise be expected.
	Jobs information is drawn from tax records from Her Majesty's Revenue and Customs. The data does not include people who are self-employed, and some people earning below the tax threshold. These figures are therefore likely to be an underestimate of the proportions finding work.
	The table shows of the annual number of JCP Pathways starts between 1 April 2005 and 31 March 2009, the proportion who find employment within (i) six months (ii) 12 months (iii) 18 months (iv) two years and (v) three years(1,2):
	(1) n/a-not available, job entry data not complete. Job entry data are only available up to 31 July 2010. Therefore for those who start JCP Pathways in the 2008-09 financial year, there is insufficient data to obtain the proportions who find employment after 12 months. This also applies to those who start JCP Pathways in the 2007-08 financial year, for the proportion who find employment within three years.
	(2) Source:
	DWP JCP Pathways to Work database. Percentages are rounded to one decimal place.
	
		
			  Percentage 
			   Financial year of JCP Pathways start 
			  Proportion who find employment within:  2005-06  2006-07  2007-08  2008-09 
			 Six months 11.2 13.4 14.8 10.2 
			 12 months 14.7 16.4 18.0 13.4 
			 18 months 16.1 17.6 19.1 n/a 
			 Two years 17.1 18.3 19.8 n/a 
			 Three years 18.0 19.0 n/a n/a 
		
	
	Figures on the number of annual JCP Pathways starts between 1 April 2005 and 31 March 2009, and of those the number and proportion who find employment within one year are published at:
	http://statistics.dwp.gov.uk/asd/asd1/adhoc_analysis/2011/jcp_pathways_average_time_to_employment_condition.pdf
	Official statistics are routinely published for employment programmes such as Pathways to Work. Official statistics on Pathways to Work starts and job entries are available up to July 2010, and are published at:
	http://research.dwp.gov.uk/asd/workingage/index.php?page=ib_ref_p2w

Pensions: Personal Savings

Rachel Reeves: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what estimate he has made of the level of  (a) pensions savings and  (b) other savings for 56 year old (i) men and (ii) women.

Steve Webb: The information requested is as follows:
	 (a) Estimates of pension wealth held by individuals in private pensions aged 56 in
	2006-08, by gender are shown in the table:
	
		
			  £ 
			   Median( 1)  Mean( 1) 
			 Men 52,800 195,800 
			 Women 9,100 94,500 
			 For all aged 56 24,500 143,700 
			 (1) Includes those with zero pension wealth  Source: Wealth and Assets Survey 2006-08 
		
	
	 (b) The Wealth and Assets Survey is our main source of data for estimates on financial wealth. However, unlike pension wealth, the estimates for financial wealth are provided at household level and are not available by age and gender at the individual level.
	Extensive analysis of financial wealth at household level using the Wealth and Assets data is available in 'Wealth in Great Britain 2006/08' at the following web link:
	http://www.statistics.gov.uk/downloads/theme_economy/wealth-assets-2006-2008/Wealth_in_GB_2006_2008.pdf
	 Notes
	1. We interpreted the question's mention of pensions savings to mean wealth held in private pensions and therefore provided figures in that context. Private pensions are all pensions that are not state basic retirement or state earnings related. There are nine categories included in the estimates of private pension wealth: defined benefit (DB) pensions, defined contribution (DC) pensions and personal pensions to which the individual was contributing at the time of survey, additional voluntary contributions (AVCs) made to current pensions, retained rights in DB and DC schemes, pension funds from which the individual was drawing an income through income drawdown, pensions in payment and pensions expected in the future based on the contributions of a former spouse. The estimates quoted include those individuals with zero pension wealth. The private pension wealth figures provided here were not immediately available from the Wealth and Assets Survey report, and were obtained by carrying out in house analysis of the data.
	2. We provide figures for both mean and median private pension wealth. The median may provide a better measure compared to the mean since the distribution of private pension wealth can be skewed by a small number of very large amounts of wealth at the top of the distribution.
	3. We interpreted the question's mention of other savings to mean wealth held in financial assets. A general complexity with measuring individual level financial wealth in surveys is that many assets are held jointly by more than one person, particularly within couples. It is for this reason that the 'Wealth in Great Britain 2006/08' report based on the data collected by the Wealth and Assets Survey (WAS) presents financial assets held by households collectively rather than by each individual.
	4. The Wealth and Assets Survey (WAS) is a large scale nationally representative longitudinal survey of over 30,000 private households in Great Britain that provides comprehensive information on people's assets and net wealth. The first wave was conducted from July 2006 to June 2008. It collected detailed information on financial and non-financial assets, and wealth components such as savings, pensions, property, mortgages and debt as well as people's attitudes and savings behaviour over time.

Unemployment

Jon Trickett: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many  (a) adults and (b) young people in each constituency have been unemployed for over 12 months.

Nick Hurd: I have been asked to reply.
	The information requested falls within the responsibility of the UK Statistics Authority. I have asked the authority to reply.
	 Letter from Stephen Penneck, dated November 2010:
	As Director General for the Office for National Statistics, I have been asked to reply to your Parliamentary Question asking how many (a) adults and (b) young people in each constituency have been unemployed for over 12 months. (22386)
	The Office for National Statistics (ONS) compiles unemployment statistics for local areas from the Annual Population Survey following International Labour Organisation (ILO) definitions. Estimates of the number of people unemployed by parliamentary constituency and age band are not available due to small sample sizes.
	As an alternative, in Table 1, which will be placed in the Library, we have provided the number of people aged 16 to 24 and people aged 25 and over, claiming Jobseeker's Allowance for over 12 months in each UK parliamentary constituency in October 2010.
	National and local area estimates for many labour market statistics, including employment, unemployment and claimant count are available on the NOMIS website at:
	http://www.nomisweb.co.uk